


Cheese Puffs

by Hellokaelyn



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, set post 16x15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 05:27:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19144468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn
Summary: Ellie meets Max, Max gives some advice, and she learns a little more about Nick.





	Cheese Puffs

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this weeks ago and never posted it..and then forgot I even had it until today.

Finally after weeks of almost back to back cases, she was able to lay back on her couch and continue reading the book she had started _months_ ago.  
  
She only read two pages before her phone rang.  
  
With a groan Ellie glanced over where her phone sat on the coffee table, she had purposely put it down a bit away from her to not be tempted to reach for it but, she could make out Nick's name on the screen.  
  
“Seriously?” She mumbled, putting her book down with the bookmark in place.  
  
Stretching her arm out to try and grab the phone without getting up, she misjudged the distance and instead dropped off the couch just narrowly missing the table.  
  
Ellie groaned, cursing Nick under her breath as she blindly reached up and grabbed it.  
  
“What!” She snapped into the phone.  
  
Nick's amused tone reached her ears. _“Did I interrupt something?”_  
  
“Yes!” Ellie said with a whine. “I was reading my book!”  
  
His laughter came through the speaker. _“Sorry nerd, but I need a favor.”_  
  
“Oh? After you _just_ called me a nerd?”  
  
_“C'mon Ellie! I cooked-”_  
  
“What do you need?”  
  
Nick laughed again. _Damn_ him for knowing his cooking would get her attention.  
  
_“Just you.”_ Ellie swallowed at that, knowing there was more but it didn't stop her stomach from swooping at the way he stopped for a second after saying it. “ _And your brain-”_  
  
Her..brain? Huh?  
  
“Wha-”  
  
She stopped as Nick obviously put his hand halfway over the phone, enough she could hear someone else on his end but she couldn't hear what was being said.  
  
_“-and Cheese Puffs too.”_  
  
Now she was really confused. “Cheese Puffs? But you hate Cheese Puffs, you don't like having the delicious cheesy particles on your fingers-”  
  
_“Ellie are we really gonna go into another Cheese Puff debate?”_  
  
Ellie sighed. “No, though I stand by all your points being stupid.”  
  
She could almost see him rolling his eyes. _“Just get here woman!”_  
  
He hung up.  
  
What a jerk.  
  
She sighed again. A very cute jerk who she was actually leaving her book for. _Dammit_.  
  


* * *

  
  
Her fist lifted to knock on the door, rocking on the heels of her feet as she waited. She shifted the bag in her arms that held two bags of Cheese Puffs.  
  
“Oh thank god!” Nick said the second he threw the door open.  
  
“What's-”  
  
A surprised noise left her as he grabbed her arm, yanking her into the apartment to shut the door. Only he didn't let go and instead pulled her down the small hall and into his living room.  
  
...where there was a teenager sitting on his couch.  
  
“Finally someone smart!” The teen loudly said, making Nick glare.  
  
“I'll hit you again.”  
  
The teen smirked. “Bring it!”  
  
Nick huffed. “Ellie this pain in the ass is Max.”  
  
Max looked her over before smirking at Nick again. “She's cute.”  
  
“Dude shut the hell up!” Nick grabbed one of the couch pillows, smacking it against Max's head.  
  
Ellie coughed, her cheeks turning pink. She knew from Nick's reaction alone that they had talked about her before. Many times.  
  
Max gave her a smile. “We would have actually met a while ago but you were busy working the case-”  
  
“Max was one of the kids I had to ‘mentor’” Nick finished saying.  
  
Ellie nodded. “And you..kept in contact..and he's at your apartment.”  
  
Nick rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah I uh- kept in contact with the other two too, Max comes here sometimes to do his homework.”  
  
“My house can be a bit noisy.” Max supplied. “My aunt moved in temporally with her kids.”  
  
“Library?” Ellie asked.  
  
“Can't concentrate with all the other people around.”  
  
“Staying after school?”  
  
“Gross I'm not staying there any longer than I have to.”  
  
“Friends house?”  
  
“We get distracted.”  
  
Ellie nodded. She could remember perfectly how difficult it was to concentrate on her own homework back in school at her house.  
  
And it was really adorable how he saw Nick's as a safe space to come do his homework.  
  
But then she realized..  
  
“Oh my god!” She put down the bag she was still holding and smacked Nick really hard ignoring his ‘ow!’. “You called me over here to help him with his homework!”  
  
Nick raised his hands in surrender. “It's math okay, _math_!”  
  
Max looked at her with a exaggerated pout. “Help? Nick is dumb and helpless.”  
  
“I'm not dumb or helpless! It's not my fault your homework involves a bunch of letters and other crap I don't understand! _Math shouldn't involve letters_!”  
  
Ellie held back her laughter as she patted Nick's arm seeing him start to get worked up over math having letters. It was cute to her if she was being honest.  
  
“Alright-” She took off her coat, sliding out of her shoes, dropped down onto the couch, curled her legs under her, put one of the couch pillows on her lap, and grabbed Max's math book. “Let's see what we got!”  
  
Both of them watched her actions with amusement, Max obviously biting his tongue to keep from laughing, not wanting her to regret trying to help him.  
  
Nick turned his back to them using going to the kitchen for a drink for Ellie as an excuse to hide his grin. She was adorable, and he knew she wouldn't be able to resist using her brain and helping Max out.  
  
When he came back, bottle of water in hand which he placed on the side table near her, she was in the process of walking him through one of the math problems. Max was listening completely, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried his hardest to follow.  
  
Nick sat in the armchair, discreetly taking his phone out and taking video to send to Max's mom who he knew worried about him more than she let on. She was a nice lady working hard to provide for her son who sometimes caused trouble and had an attitude to boot, it reminded him way too much of his own life when he was Max's age.  
  


* * *

  
  
When it was time for Nick to bring Max home, instead of leaving Ellie curled herself into Nick's couch and turned on his TV. He walked out with a smile and a smirking Max in tow.  
  
“She likes you.” Max said a few minutes into the car ride.  
  
Nick's fingers tightened on the wheel. “No, she doesn't. I'm not her type.”  
  
Max raised an eyebrow. “That's bullshit.”  
  
He shrugged. “It's true, she likes smart guys, and I have the evidence to back it up.”  
  
And he did. It was obvious her ex-husband was smart (Nick may have done some digging when he found out), he knew first hand Qasim was smart with not only his brain but also with his outlook on life, and he heard enough about Boyd to know he was also smart. But him? He knew he wasn't dumb but he wasn't smart enough for someone as brilliant as Ellie Bishop.  
  
“Well no matter what, she still likes you.” Max said with a scoff. “She kept glancing up at you and would tuck her hair behind her ears which according to Hayley can be a sign of a crush, she dropped what she was doing and came over just because you asked and she didn't even know what for, and she's still at your place waiting for you to come back!”  
  
Nick cleared his throat. “Doesn't have to mean anything.”  
  
Max chuckled, turning to look out his window seeing Nick trying to hide a smile out of the corner of his eye.  
  
Five minutes later when Nick pulled up to his house, Max paused as he started getting out of the car.  
  
“Life is short Nick.” He said softly. “We both know that, for all you know something could happen tomorrow. So don't be afraid to tell her already, even if she turns you down which I know she won't, it's better to have tried then miss your chance completely and be full of regret and what ifs.”  
  
Nick gave him a thankful smile. “Thanks dude.”  
  
Max saluted him with a grin before getting out.  
  
When he got back to his place, the TV was off and Ellie wasn't in sight. He knew she wasn't gone as her coat and shoes were still in the same spot and she wouldn't have left without sending him a text.  
  
He peeked in the kitchen, empty. Bathroom in the hall, empty. Guest room, empty. His small workout room, empty.  
  
Nick walked into his room and stopped short, a tightening in his chest. Ellie was laying in his bed on the side he didn't sleep on, looking perfectly content under his comforter.  
  
Moving quietly, he grabbed a shirt to change into and went into the bathroom. When he was done and about to get into bed now in his t-shirt and boxers, he spotted her own shirt and jeans folded on the chair in the corner.  
  
He swallowed roughly when he pulled back the comforter and caught a glimpse of her wearing one of his shirts that he could tell was huge on her. When he was settled in bed, Ellie shifted and moved till she was against hm.  
  
“Sorry for stealing your clothes and bed.” She mumbled, blinking her eyes open sleepily.  
  
He cleared his throat though his voice still sounded rough. “Looks better on you anyway.”  
  
Her lips twitched, her cheeks coloring. “I like Max, and it's nice that you're looking out for him.”  
  
“He's a cool kid, all three of them are. Max and I- we had a rocky start.”  
  
Ellie looked at him. “What changed?”  
  
Nick smiled sadly. “We talked about our dad's and other things. Max's dad..he was an agent who died in the bombing-” Ellie breathed in sharply. “And mine..he left when I was five and never looked back, I still have no idea where he is, if he's even alive.”  
  
“Nick..why didn't you ever say anything?” She asked softly, grabbing his hand and curling their fingers together.  
  
He shrugged. “You know I'm not good at talking about that stuff.”  
  
“Well..I'm here whenever you want to.” She squeezed his hand. “Why haven't you looked for him? I mean you have the resources..”  
  
Nick sighed. “Honestly I'm afraid of what I'd find. Either it be that he died and I never knew, is some criminal, has another family one he apparently loves more, or maybe he's just living a normal life and obviously doesn't care.”  
  
She nodded, understanding where he was coming from. “If you ever want to find out, you know McGee and I will help.”  
  
This time he squeezed her hand. “Thanks.”  
  
Their eyes met, and without even realizing it they both started leaning forward, eyes shutting right before their lips touched. Nick felt dizzy, and as the kiss deepened and he got his first taste of her (those damn cheese puffs), he knew there was no going back now that he knew what kissing her was like.  
  
As Ellie's leg tangled with hers and she lifted herself up to kiss him at a better angle and deeper, he right then and there became addicted to her.  
  
“Sorry.” She breathed against him when they took a breather.  
  
“Huh?” Nick blinked, his mind foggy.  
  
“I-” Her cheeks colored. “I had some Cheese Puffs, and you don't really like them-”  
  
Nick chuckled. “I think I changed my mind.”  
  
She blinked at him.  
  
He didn't answer, instead he pushed her down on the bed softly, moving to lean over her as he lowered his lips down to hers.  
  
In the morning they'd talk about it. In the morning they'd share more kisses and make breakfast together, agreeing to see where they went before telling anyone (besides Max). Ellie spent the rest of the weekend at his place before reluctantly leaving Sunday night to sleep at her own place for work in the morning.  
  
From then on a bag of Cheese Puffs could usually be found in his cupboard to the amusement of Max (who could be found sharing the bag with Ellie who became a frequent presence when he came over). Nick would learn to love the things especially when he would forever associate them with kissing Ellie that first time.


End file.
